Did Sarma Melngailis actually serve jail time?
Dangerous Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. is presently the primary hit on Netflix. Like The Tinder Swindler earlier than it, individuals are fascinated by these true crime documentaries and docuseries. Within the newest present, we comply with the story of Pure Meals and Wine founder Sarma Melngailis. Melngailis was as soon as thought of vegan royalty…
Dangerous Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. is presently the primary hit on Netflix. Like The Tinder Swindler earlier than it, individuals are fascinated by these true crime documentaries and docuseries. Within the newest present, we comply with the story of Pure Meals and Wine founder Sarma Melngailis.
Melngailis was as soon as thought of vegan royalty when she opened her raw-food restaurant, however she misplaced all the things after getting concerned with conman Anthony Strangis, alias Shane Fox. The 2 obtained married, and over time, Anthony slowly drained Melngailis’ financial institution accounts by convincing her (and even her mom!) to provide him tens of millions of {dollars}.
All through their whirlwind romance, Melngailis grew to become a pawn in Strangis’ sport as he used coercive strategies of management to get her to do what he needed, together with telling elaborate lies about why he wanted a lot cash from her. She was taking cash out of her enterprise accounts, which finally resulted in Melngailis unable to pay her restaurant employees.
Melngailis transferred a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} from her buyers and enterprise accounts to casinos frequented by Strangis. They finally needed to go on the run as fugitives and had been arrested in Might 2016 at a Tennessee resort.
Dangerous Vegan: Sarma Melngailis served 4 months at Riker’s Island
After they had been arrested, Strangis and Melngailis had been charged with second-degree criminal tax fraud, second-degree grand larceny and several other serious criminal charges. They may have spent 15 years in jail if that they had been convicted, however the pair opted for plea offers.
Usually when celebrities or high-powered people get arrested, they by no means serve time, however Melngailis and Strangis did. Melngailis pled responsible to prison tax fraud fees, grand larceny, and a scheme to defraud. In return, she was sentenced to 5 years probation and 4 months in jail.
Dangerous Vegan: The place did Sarma Melngailis serve her jail time?
In 2017, Melngailis served her time at Rikers Island in New York. In 2018, she formally filed for divorce from Strangis.
In Dangerous Vegan, the restauranteur says she had over $6 million of debt and collateral injury and admits she asks herself why she didn’t depart Strangis daily.
“Why didn’t I name the police? That’s the large query. I believed, in a way, that these items had been actuality.”
Be taught everything of Melngailis’ story within the four-part docuseries Bad Vegan, now streaming on Netflix.